Club bid to prevent violence against women

Update: 1:14PM IN a bid to promote unity and prevent violence against women in the area, the new Wainibokasi Multiracial Women's Club at Nakelo in Tailevu was opened yesterday.

During the opening, Assistant Minister for
Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Veena Bhatnagar, said non-governmental
organizations like
women?s groups had played a major role in pushing for sustainable development
at the international level in various aspects.

Ms Bhatnagar said campaigning groups had been key drivers of
governmental negotiations, ranging from matters around violence against women
to the economic empowerment of women in the country.

"Your role is too important to regard any less. You are the voice of
the women who may not be able to represent themselves at any level," Ms
Bhatnagar said.

She said the ministry
offered a lot of empowerment programs which fell under their five
thematic areas.

"Especially in terms of economic and social under the formal sector
employment and livelihood, the ministry is assisting women with income
generating projects with capacity building training, financial literacy
training and technical training for sustainability of the projects. Our current
projects are poultry, bee keeping, nursery, piggery, bread making, canteen and
others," she said.